We've seen it before, and we just may be witnessing it again.

Pete Carroll is officially gone from the Pac-10 - after putting together one of the most powerful dynasties in college football history - and Lane Kiffin will be his replacement.

You can bet that USC fans will have plenty of mixed emotions on this one. Some will recall that Kiffin was an assistant during the Trojans' greatest run of prosperity from 2001-2006, when SC won two national titles.

But there will be others who question whether or not Kiffin has what it takes to follow a legend, and for good reason.

For 18 years Don James roamed the sidelines for the Washington Huskies, compiling a 153-57-2 record. He took the Huskies to the Rose Bowl six times - winning four of them - and split a national title with Miami in 1991.

But with the NCAA hot on his tail and sanctions on the way, James resigned following the 1992 season. His longtime assistant, Jim Lambright, was promoted to head coach. Lambright was 44-25-1 in his six seasons in Seattle before he was fired in 1998.

Lambright faced an uphill battle from the very beginning, with the NCAA putting Washington on probation and banning the Huskies from post season play in 1993 and 1994.

Kiffin is in the exact same boat.

NCAA sanctions are almost certainly on the way, and the balance of power in the Pac-10 now appears to be tipping in another direction.

Northwest.

Oregon was the team that broke USC's stranglehold on the Pac-10 title after seven years, and with 18 of 22 starters back the Ducks will be the likely candidate to take over the Trojans' spot as the preseason favorite in the conference.

The cupboard isn't bare in Corvallis either. OSU brings back most of its starters as well, including James and Quizz Rodgers. If the Beavers can find a suitable replacement for Sean Canfield, they will be dangerous in 2010.

And don't look now, but the Washington Huskies have a pulse again. Senior quarterbacks are a powerful tool in the Pac-10, and the Dawgs have one of the best in Jake Locker.

Not since the 2000 season, when the Ducks, Beavers and Huskies all shared the conference crown, have we seen these three teams coming into a year with so much coming back.

Throw in the fact that USC hasn't won a game in the Northwest since 2005, and it looks like those three could again stage a battle for Pac-10 supremacy.

It's an exciting prospect, and it's just what the Pac-10 needs.

Ever since the Trojans returned to dominance in 2002, the Pac-10 has been looked at as USC and the nine dwarfs. Never mind the fact that of the 13 losses the Trojans suffered from 2002-2009, all but two of those came at the hands of Pac-10 opponents.

Oregon took the first step out of USC's shadow this season. And with a dark cloud gathering over the Coliseum, it's time for the Beavers, Huskies and the rest of the Pac-10 to follow suit.